The X-Files' Gillian Anderson Cast In Hannibal

The X-Files aired for almost a decade, which isn't common for drama series these days. If NBC's Hannibal has similar longevity, perhaps it'll have Gillian Anderson to thank for it, at least a little bit, anyway. The former X-Files star is set for a multi-episode arc in Bryan Fuller's drama series.

In the works at NBC is Hannibal, a series developed by Fuller based on Thomas Harris' series of novels, focusing on Dr. Hannibal Lecter's relationship with FBI criminal profiler Will Graham in their earlier years, when Lecter was working as a forensic psychiatrist. Mads Mikkelsen plays Lecter, while Hugh Dancy plays Graham. Also among the cast are Laurence Fishburne, Gina Torres, Scott Thompson and Raul Esparza

Knowing what we do about Lecter's cannibalistic tastes, it's fair to say that when he gets inside somebody's head, it could very well be in the literal sense. The same probably wouldn't be said for the role Gillian Anderson is set up to play. EW reports that Anderson will appear in multiple episodes of Hannibal, playing Dr. Lecter's therapist.

“Every therapist needs their own head examined and we are ecstatic that Gillian Anderson has chosen Hannibal to mark her return to American television after 10 years to portray Dr. Lecter’s personal psychiatrist,” Fuller said in a statement. “Her intelligence and sophistication, not to mention her pedigree of ground-breaking TV, make her the perfect actress to match wits and psychological manipulations with one of the greatest villains of pop culture. I couldn’t be more excited.”

They certainly went with a beautiful choice to play the role, and one that'll likely appeal to the many X-Files fans out there who loved her when she played the role of Scully in the Fox series. The X-Files wrapped up in 2002, and as Fuller mentions, this will be Gillian's return to network television after ten years. Anderson's appearance on the show is one more reason to look forward to it.